Washington, D.C. – As Burmese voters go to the polls on April 1, the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) will provide wall-to-wall coverage of a society that until recently has lacked electoral freedom.

“In a place where approximately one in four adults tune in to broadcasts from RFA and VOA, we know our broadcasts play a vital role providing unbiased coverage of these elections,” said Michael Meehan, a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S. international broadcasting.

VOA and RFA will provide broadcast and on-line coverage, including analysis and reaction to the process, the results, and the impact on the nation and its people. The multimedia programming includes election previews, reaction from exiles and other features.

The election comes at a key moment for the people of Burma: President Thein Sein has been making reforms, including freeing political prisoners, easing press restrictions, and engaging with opposition leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

VOA has dispatched correspondent Daniel Schearf to Burma to file election coverage from Kawhmu outside Rangoon, where Suu Kyi, a life-long activist on behalf of democracy, is seeking one of 48 parliamentary seats. VOA Burmese reporter Kyaw Kyaw Thien also is headed to Burma to cover the election and the post-election climate.

RFA’s reporters on the ground include one attached to Suu Kyi’s campaign. This weekend, RFA will be in Naypyitaw, the Burmese capital, as the votes are counted — and with Suu Kyi as she awaits results. RFA Burmese has provided coverage of candidates, government officials and opposition leaders in the run-up to the vote.(Leticia King/VOA)

The weather in the Northern hemisphere has warmed up. Spring is here, and already there are quite a few ARLHS members activating light beacons around the world. With the band conditions improving almost daily, this could be the best lighthouse event in several years. You won't want to miss it!

And: The ARLHS memorial club station, W7QF, will be monitoring 14.270 and 7270 kHz to offer a Certificate of Achievement to anyone who works us during the contest week.(Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society)

The State We're InJonathan Groubert and his team look at current events from an unexpected perspective.

This week: Taking the reins

William Browder on the outrageous theft of his investment fund by Russian authorities and the virtual assassination of his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. A woman suffering from cancer discovers she has no health insurance and takes to lying to get what she needs. And a Kuwaiti man, repulsed by western stereotypes and Muslim fanatics, makes superheroes based on Allah’s attributes. He tells Jonathan how it became a spectacular success that made him enemies.

First airing: Saturday 02:00 UTC

Earth BeatMarnie Chesterton and her team look at the footprint we’re leaving on our planet.

This week: Fighting talk

It’s all about war. From restoring the Iraqi Marshlands after Saddam to why creating compost on an army base in Iraq can be a bit of a bummer. Plus, visiting the front line, nearly 100 years later.

First airing: Friday 03:00 UTC

South Asia WiredStories from South Asia.

This week:

In India's Maoist corridor, violence is committed on a daily basis - much of it sanctioned by the state. Our reporter visits a place where journalists are not welcome, to talk to the families of people who died in police custody.

(There'll be a new edition of the programme on Thursday 5 April)

First airing: Thursday 10:00 UTC

Bridges With AfricaWe're giving the microphone to Diaspora groups in Europe and are linking up with stations in Africa.

This week:

We have an exclusive interview with José Luis Moreno Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, on the massacre in Duékoué (Ivory Coast) one year ago this week. At least 800 people were killed, shortly after the town fell to troops loyal to President Alassane Ouattara.Our West Africa correspondent Bram Posthumus travelled to Duékoué and made a report on the state of the town one year after the killings.We have music from Guinea’s music legend Ba Cissoko. He speaks to us about the role of musicians in politics and about his favourite neighbourhood in the capital Conakry.The majority of the vegetables used for consumption in Ghana’s capital Accra are grown right next to the city’s drainage. Many of these vegetables which are supposed to be healthy are also washed with this contaminated water. But people have found ways to make their vegs healthy.

Was it a capitalist, or was it a socialist venture? In any case, it was a lot of fun. In the 1960s, Tanzania opened its own open air, drive-in cinema. The country was experimenting with socialism, so this cinema in Dar es Salaam can be seen, perhaps, as the first socialist drive-in on the planet.

With historian Laura Fair we look at this unusual project in the context of the immense popularity of cinema in Africa in the 1960s, and Tanzania’s push for development after independence.

First airing: Monday 18:00 UTC

Commonwealth StoryA selection of winning stories chosen from the large number of entries for the 2010 Commonwealth Short Story Competition.

This week: From dark - by Karen Jennings, South Africa. The hell and horror of illegal mining.

Global PerspectiveWho says I can’t… is the motto of this year’s collaboration of international broadcasters, offering stories of defiance and perseverance.

This week: Who says I can’t fish?

Around one billion people in the world rely on fish as their primary source of protein, but fishermen in many parts of the world are having greater restrictions put on their fishing because of concerns about the level of fish stocks and the marine environment. The BBC World Service introduces us to Fred Normandale, one of the few remaining fishermen in the small town of Scarborough in the North East of England.

First airing: Monday 17:30 UTC

Hear the WorldThe current series of European Jazz Stage has come to an end. But don’t despair, there’s plenty of good music to come. We’ve started a new series of Hear the World, hosted by Dheera Sujan.

This week:

A veteran of Ghanaian music, 75-year-old singer-guitarist Ibo Taylor appears with his young band Bonze Concoma.Amsterdam’s popular Afrogroove formation Mdungu mixes traditional West African music with Western funk, jazz and rock.In this week’s Dutch Delights spot it’s the New Cool Collective. This band feels at home everywhere and incorporates a wide range of styles, including Cuban and African.And to end the show, there’s the Havana Cultura project by British DJ Giles Petersen and Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca.

First airing: Monday 01:00 UTC

RNW ClassicalClassical concerts from the Royal Concertgebouw as well as studio recordings of Dutch performers, presented by Hans Haffmans.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

No other issue of Monitoring Times magazine is more popular than our annual air show issue that is released in March of each year.

As a leader in the radio hobby publishing world, Grove Enterprises and the Monitoring Times magazine staff is pleased to announce that the March 2012 air show issue is now available in the Kindle reader format from Amazon.com at a price you just can not beat - $0.99. Now you can take our most popular issue of MT with you to the air show as a ready reference.

And no need to worry if you do not own a Kindle reader. You can still read our new Kindle electronic reader edition or any Kindle book anywhere with Amazon's free reading apps.

There are free Kindle reading apps for Smartphones (iPhone & iTouch, Android, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry); Computer platforms (Windows and Mac); Tablets (iPad and Android Tablet), and of course the Kindle readers including the new Kindle Fire that will be reviewed in the June issue of Monitoring Times. You can get more detail on these apps by clicking here.

MT March 2012 Product DescriptionMonitoring Times Xpress digital edition, March, 2012. Monitoring Times magazine is the leader in radio communications for the world of radio. Each issue is packed with shortwave, scanner and other radio reviews, features and columns. Now in our 31st year, MT is better than ever offering a print edition, PDF version (full color and graphics) and now the MT Digital Reader edition. This is our test of the digital version of the magazine for e-readers. It contains no graphics and no ads. We want to see your response as the reader whether this is worth pursuing as a monthly subscription. Please give us your thoughts and comments.

Greetings from a sunny Hilversum. As spring is starting and the first tulips are in full bloom, preparations for our new summer schedule are in full swing.

The new schedule starts on Sunday 25 March 2012.

Jonathan Groubert and his team look at current events from an unexpected perspective.

The real meA 13-year-old street hawker in Kabul dreams of becoming a pilot. A Kurdish woman struggles with breast cancer and her culture’s punitive view of it. And a man in Denver talks about his 20 year struggle to beat sex addiction.

First airing: Saturday 02:00 UTC

Earth BeatMarnie Chesterton and her team look at the footprint we’re leaving on our planet.

Things that turn up in the unlikeliest of places… Like sea salt full of prescription drugs, or pesticides in the Arctic. And the man searching the Amazon for a tribe he’s not allowed to contact. Foreign bodies, in all their forms.

First airing: Friday 03:00 UTC

South Asia WiredStories from South Asia.

Sri Lanka remains a country deeply divided along ethnic lines. It is therefore both surprising and refreshing to see the work of Dr Panagamuwa Bandara, an ethnic Sinhalese who grew up in Britain, but returned to Sri Lanka to work in a hospital in the north-west Tamil region. This week we hear from him about his work, the ethnic divide and the future prospects for his country.

(There'll be a new edition of the programme on Thursday 29 March)

Bridges With AfricaWe're giving the microphone to Diaspora groups in Europe and are linking up with stations in Africa.

The trial of the ‘Zim 6’ - six Zimbabweans convicted for plotting to overthrow the Zimbabwean government because they were watching footage of the Arab Spring. We ask: is this a political trial to quiet down the opposition?George Clooney, Madonna, Bono and Angelina Jolie. International, white celebrities fighting for African causes. We look at the negative sides to the Hollywood-style of campaigning.Women in hip hop are rare. And especially female hip hop DJs. But DJ Zeyna from Senegal’s capital Dakar hopes to change that. Being the first female DJ graduating from the Hip Hop Academy in Dakar she dreams of changing ‘the game’.We have music from South African jazz musician Kyle Shepherd who just released his third album South African History !X that pays an homage to the first inhabitants of South Africa, the Khoi Khoi and the San.The majority of the vegetables used for consumption in Ghana’s capital Accra are grown right next to the city’s drainage. Many of these vegetables which are supposed to be healthy are also washed with this contaminated water. But people have found ways to make their vegs healthy.

What is African writing?They say they write about life, and seek the truth, wherever they are. Sometimes, their books are judged not African enough. What challenges do young African writers in the diaspora face? How do they see their role in the age of internet? Listen to a round table discussion with three authors.

First airing: Monday 18:00 UTC

Commonwealth StoryA selection of winning stories chosen from the large number of entries for the 2010 Commonwealth Short Story Competition.

Retirement - by Schachi Kaul (India). A daughter's view of her father's retirement.

First airing: Tuesday 01:50 UTC

Global PerspectiveWho says I can’t… is the motto of this year’s collaboration of international broadcasters, offering stories of defiance and perseverance.

Who says we can’t be gay, Muslim, and successful?

Elkader is a small town in the centre of the American Midwest. It’s not where you’d expect to find a gay couple starting an Algerian restaurant. But this town in Iowa was named after a 19th-century Algerian jihadist. WAMU radio takes us to Elkader to see how the residents have found their way through the Islamophobia debate.

First airing: Monday 17:30 UTC

Hear the WorldThe current series of European Jazz Stage has come to an end. But don’t despair, there’s plenty of good music to come. We’ve started a new series of Hear the World, hosted by Dheera Sujan.

Portuguese singer Lura kicks off the programme with catchy songs based on rhythms created by her Cape-Verdian ancestors.Luis Melodia is a Brazilian singer who began mixing samba and bossanova with Western pop music in the 1960s and 70s.Flamenco music by the Dutch Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza.In our Dutch Delights slot this week it’s Christina Branco. She is Portuguese but has forged strong links with the Netherlands since the 1990s and initiated a fado revival.

First airing: Monday 01:00 UTC

RNW ClassicalClassical concerts from the Royal Concertgebouw as well as studio recordings of Dutch performers, presented by Hans Haffmans.

Polish Radio carries the following announcement on its English website: “From Sunday 25 March, the English Section of Polish Radio External Service is changing its broadcast times and the nature of its transmissions. As of Sunday, the English Section will NOT be available on Short Wave, ending almost 80 years of broadcasts on this spectrum. Many thanks to all our listeners who tuned in via these means over the years.

“However, the English Section is continuing ALL its transmissions via satellite and online, with podcasts also available via our RSS feed and through the iTunes platform. Additionally, the English Section of Polish Radio External Service is available in London on DAB Spectrum 1 daily at 1900 local time.

“Major changes are our LIVE transmission at the time of 1400 CEST (1200 UTC), with our main broadcast moving to 2000 CEST (1800 UTC). Our flagship production, News from Poland, will move to the time of 1400 CEST, with a second edition at 2000 CEST. All magazine premieres will also air at 2000 CEST.”

Already, astute international radio monitors on all continents have become aware that Adventist World Radio is making a return visit to the island of Sri Lanka. For a period of nearly 40 years, AWR programming was on the air from the radio broadcasting service in Colombo Sri Lanka, beginning in the year 1950. Then when the shortwave station KSDA on the island of Guam became fully functional, the Asian programming from Adventist World Radio was transferred to this new station. After a quarter century absence from the radio broadcasting scene in Sri Lanka, AWR is now returning to this island once again, but this time from another station, the large shortwave station that was on the air previously with the programming of Deutsche Welle. This is the story.

It was back in the year 1950, at 8:30 am local time on Sunday morning October 1, 1950, that the first broadcast of the “Voice of Prophecy” radio program went on the air from the shortwave service of Radio Ceylon, as it was known in those days. During that era, the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon was on the air with just two shortwave transmitters, one at 100 kW and another at 7½ kW, both located at Ekala, a dozen miles north of the national capital, Colombo. This was the first Adventist broadcast from Radio Ceylon, and it was also the first syndicated Christian broadcast from this station.

As time went by, Radio Ceylon became the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, and the Adventist radio programming over this station was organized as the original Adventist World Radio in Asia, AWR-Asia. It was at the end of the year 1988, that the final AWR broadcasts ended over SLBC Colombo, in favor of AWR’s own shortwave station, KSDA Guam.

Beginning on Sunday March 25, AWR will again be heard from Sri Lanka, and this time, from the large Deutsche Welle station located near Trincomalee on the eastern coast of the island of Sri Lanka. It is intended that these broadcasts from this new AWR location will be on the air for a period of a little over three months, terminating at the end of June this year.

The reason for the temporary transfer of AWR programming from KSDA Guam to ex-Deutsche Welle Sri Lanka is so that technical personnel can perform antenna maintenance on Guam on curtain antennas 1 & 2, and also for the installation of an additional curtain antenna at the same location.

International radio monitors around the world are invited to submit reception reports on the temporary AWR usage of the Trincomalee shortwave station. A special QSL card honoring the temporary return of Adventist World Radio to Sri Lanka is under preparation, and this will be available only from the AWR address in Indianapolis in the United States. Reception reports via the postal system, together with a suitable form of return postage are preferred, though email reports will also be welcome.

It can also be remembered that the long time AWR DX program, “Radio Monitors International”, was “born” in the Torrington Square studios of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and the first broadcast went on the air on Sunday June 1, 1975. Thirty seven years later, and a few thousand scripts later, we are still on the air with the same DX program, though the title was modernized in more recent time to “Wavescan”. The scheduling for “Wavescan” beginning on Sunday March 25 is given below:-

The AWR DX program, “Wavescan”, is researched and written in Indianapolis by Dr. Adrian. M. Peterson and it is recorded in the studios of Radio Miami International WRMI by Jeff White. The scheduling for “Wavescan” via WRMI for the new A12 broadcast period will be obtainable from the WRMI website. Two QSL cards are available for the broadcast of “Wavescan”, one from AWR and another from WRMI.

“Wavescan” is also on the air from shortwave station WWCR, and likewise, their new scheduling will be available from their website.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

5005, Rdif. de Guinea Ecuatorial, Bata, 1805, Mar 17. Afro accented Spanish talks, weak to fair. Band opening up to West Africa. Tonight quite good reception. (Goonetilleke). When checking 5005.07 at 2000, Mar 17, I only heard a weak carrier in much local noise. But on March 19 at 2020-2027* there was an African song and music – probably the national hymn before close down. SINPO 23332 with utility interference and interference from spurious Russian on 5001 kHz. Thank you for the tips, Victor! (Petersen). Also heard at *0453-0515, Mar 18, sign on with local African music. Weak. Poor in noisy conditions. Nothing heard on 6250 kHz at various checks between 0500-0635. (Alexander in DXplorer)

15190.00, Pan American Broadcasting via Radio Africa, Bata, 1638-1700, Mar 18. Presumed with a strong but distorted signal. English religious talk. (Alexander in DXplorer). Also presumed heard at 1657-1856, Mar 18, with weak and fading signal in England - currently mixing with co-channel Radio Pilipinas. Has been audible since IRRS closed at 1657, with US and African sounding evangelists. Gospel of the Kingdom program heard starting at 1856. No ID yet though the programming, signal strength and poor audio quality are typical of Radio Africa. Same station was also tentatively heard here on Mar 02 from 1735 to abrupt close at 1755* and again Mar 16 around the same time. (Kenny)

And later at 0650-0835, Mar 18. Religious comments in English, and at the end of the program mentioned an address in USA, at 0700 a woman also with religious comments, reading a letter from Nairobi, Kenya, and a man mentioned "The Lord Jesus Christ." Some religious songs and at 0829 mention of a program: "The Voice of Trust". No IDs at hours and half hours. Fair modulation. SINPO 24322. (Méndez)

The re-appearance after a long OFF-time of both transmitters on the same day indicate, that a competent technician has visited Bata! (Petersen)(Anker Petersen/DX Window 450)

Solar activity was at low to high levels during the period. Region 1429 (N17, L = 299, class/area Dkc/1270 on 07 March) produced the largest event of the period, an M7/1b x-ray flare at 13/1741 UTC. Associated with this event, were a 1400 sfu Tenflare, a Type II and a Type IV radio sweep, with an estimated shock velocity of 1366 km/s, and finally an asymmetric full-halo CME, visible in both LASCO C2 and C3 imagery. Plane-of-sky speed, as measured from LASCO imagery was 1375 km/s. The CME associated with this event was forecast to become geoeffective. As Region 1429 approached the west limb, finally rotating off on 16 March, Region 1432 (N14, L = 223, class/area Esi/100 on 15 March) became active and produced two M-class events. The largest was an M2/1n x-ray event at 14/1521 UTC.

A faint CME, visible in LASCO C2 imagery, was observed with a plane-of-sky speed of 392 km/s. On 15 March, a second M-class event, an M1/1f x-ray event at 15/0752 UTC, was also observed. A Type II radio sweep with an estimated shock velocity of 468 km/s was associated with this event. Both CME’s associated with the solar flares from Region 1432 were expected to arrive at Earth, but with such slow speeds and a coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS)preceding them, very little effects were forecast. Finally, Region 1434 (S22, L = 205, class/area on 11 March) produced an M1/Sf x-ray event at 17/2039 UTC. Another Type II radio sweep with an estimated shock velocity of 1140 km/s was associated with this event. However,the associated CME with this event was not expected to become geoeffective. Aside from the M-class x-ray events, multiple C-class events were observed during the period. Many of the solar regions remained active as they evolved around the disk, but Region 1435 (S25, L = 220, class/area Dao/150 on 18 March) showed rapid growth towards the end of the summary period.

Two separate greater than 10 MeV proton events were observed during the summary period. The period began with the greater than 10 MeV proton flux above the 10 pfu threshold. This event was associated with the X5/3b x-ray flare observed on 07/0024 UTC. This event began on 07/0510 UTC, reached a maximum flux of 6530 pfu on 08/1115 UTC, and dropped below the 10 pfu threshold at 12/2050 UTC. The second event, began on 13 March and was associated the M7/1b x-ray event, mentioned earlier, from old Region 1429 (N18, L = 299). This greater than 10 MeV proton event began at 13/1810 UTC, reached a maximum flux of 469 pfu on 13/2045 UTC, and dropped below the 10 pfu threshold on 15/0620 UTC. A greater than 100 MeV proton event was also associated with the M7/1b x-ray event. This event began at 13/1810 UTC, reached a maximum flux of 1 pfu at 13/1905 UTC, and dropped below the 1 pfu threshold at 13/2255 UTC.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at moderate to high levels for the entire summary period.

The geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to major storm periods with isolated severe storm periods observed at high latitudes. The summary period began at quiet levels, however midday on 12 March, a shock was observed by the ACE spacecraft with a Sudden Impulse of 96 nT, later observed by the Boulder magnetometer. This activity was due to the arrival of a CME associated with the 10 March M8 x-ray event from Region 1429. Measurements by the ACE spacecraft showed the solar wind speed increased from around 450 km/s to 775 km/s.

The Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) also increased from around 6 nT to 28 nT. As the effects of the CME continued, periods of major storms were observed with isolated sever storm levels at high latitudes from 12/0900-1500 UTC. From 13-14 March, quiet to active levels were recorded as effects from this CME event waned. On 15 March, another CME arrival was observed with another shock recorded by the ACE spacecraft, followed by a Sudden Impulse of 27 nT measured at the Boulder magnetometer. Solar wind measurements, as recorded by the ACE spacecraft, showed wind speeds around 800 km/s following the shock.

Once again, quiet to major storms were observed at mid latitudes with isolated periods at sever storm levels at high latitudes. For the remainder of the summary period, 16-18 March, solar wind speeds remained elevated, well above 500 km/s, in response to a CH HSS behind the CME arrival on 15 March. The combined effects of the CME and CH HSS produced quiet to active levels at mid latitudes with continued minor to major storm periods observed at high latitudes.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 19 March - 14 April 2012

Solar activity is expected to remain at low levels from 19 -26 March. On March 27, and then March 28, old Region 1430 (N22, L = 318) and Region 1429 (N18, L = 299) are expected to return, respectively. Even though these regions are on the far side of the solar disk, imagery supports that they are still active and producing CMEs. An increase to low to moderate levels is expected from 28 March - 11 April as both regions populate to front side of the solar disk. A return to predominantly low levels is expected to prevail for the remainder of the forecast period.

No proton events are forecast from 19 - 29 March. An increase to a slight chance for proton events is forecast from 30 March - 11 April as old Region 1429 populates the visible disk. A return to background proton flux levels is expected from 12 April - 14 April.

Electrons, greater than 2 MeV, are expected to be at high levels from 18-25 March. A decrease to normal to moderate levels is expected from 26 - 28 March. From 29 March - 03 April, a return to moderate to high levels is forecast. From 04 April, through the end of the forecast period, 14 April, a return to normal to moderate levels is expected.

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to active levels on 19-20 March, in response to the arrival and lingering effects of a CME. Predominantly quiet levels are expected to prevail from 21-27 March. On 28 - 31 March, a CH HSS is expected to become geoeffective with quiet to active conditions expected. Quiet conditions are expected from 01 - 02 April. From 03 - 04 April, quiet to unsettled conditions are expected as another CH HSS moves into a geoeffective position. Predominantly quiet levels are expected to continue from 05 - 12 April. From 13-14 April, a CH HSS is expected to become geoeffective.

Yesterday's edition of "What's Up?" confirmed that Polish Radio, External Service, in English is dropped from shortwave from start of A-12 Season. Only available on Internet, satellite and via WRN from 25 March 2012.Polish Radio can be heard in English on shortwave until Saturday, March 24 at 1800-1900 on 3955 via Skelton.The HFCC lists only these transmissions remaining on shortwave during the A12 period from Polish Radio - all via Woofferton:

3955, Polish Radio, via Skelton, *1800-1810, Mar 19. Music to Polish ID, English ID. News about airport strike in Poland, and newly elected German President Joachim Gauck is welcome on his first visit abroad to Poland. SINPO 55555. (Petersen)

Vietnam7906-USB and 8294-USB. Vietnam Coast Radio Station (VISHIPEL) (presumed). Thanks entirely to the timely tip from Sei-ichi Hasegawa (Japan) that I tuned in to this.

March 19 observed on 7906-USB, *1020-1025*, *1105-1110*, *1120-1125*. Actually ten minutes between the broadcasts of these five minute segments. In Vietnamese with assume marine weather. Today always ending with the same commercial ad (male/female) along with sound of phone ringing and young girl says “Hello”. Pulsating noise interference to 1123, 8294-USB not heard today.

March 20 on 7906-USB again with five minute segments. Ending with the same commercial. At 1220, found // 8294-USB for the first time, but this frequency did not run the commercial at the end of the marine weather, as heard on 7906-USB. Station went off at 1224, so the segments on 8294-USB are about one minute shorter and about eleven minutes between segments. Noted *1235-1239.*

Need to confirm the full schedule and exact transmitter sites of these broadcasts.